A Family's Worst Nightmare
by Zanessalover576
Summary: Sequel to One Thing Can Change Everything. Zac and Vanessa's daughter Allie, is sick. What happens when her illness is diagnosed and her family has to cope with it?
1. A Very Upsetting Surprise

Ten years later, Allie was ten years old. She looked exactly like Vanessa but had Zac's cobalt blue eyes. Zac and Vanessa had gotten married when Allie was two years old. Life had been tough for the Efron family. Allie was sick and her doctor was trying to figure out what she had. Zac and Vanessa tried to remain calm. But sometimes it was difficult because Allie would ask her parents questions about what was wrong with her. As for Zac and Vanessa, they were happier than ever. Their families were supportive of everything they did and were a big help in raising Allie. One morning, Zac walked upstairs and walked to Allie's room. He walked into the room and sat on the edge of her bed and put his hand on her back.

"Allie, you need to wake up honey. We have to go see Dr. Scott today" Zac said.

Allie moved around in her bed and opened her eyes slowly.

"I don't want to go, dad" Allie said.

"Allie, I know you don't. But it's the only way we are going to figure out what's going on okay?" Zac said.

Allie nodded.

"Okay" Allie said.

"Alright, go get dressed and come downstairs" Zac said.

"Okay" Allie said.

Zac kissed Allie's head and got off the bed and walked out of the room. Allie got out of bed and got dressed. She then walked downstairs and went into the kitchen and found Vanessa.

"Good morning Allie, make yourself some breakfast and we need to go to Dr. Scott's" Vanessa said.

"When are we finally going to find out what's wrong with me?" Allie asked.

Vanessa kissed Allie's cheek.

"Baby, we all want to know what you have. I know it's frustrating and that it's hard. We will find out soon, I promise" Vanessa said.

Allie sighed and ate her toast that she had made. After Allie finished, she looked at Vanessa.

"Are you ready to go?" Vanessa asked.

"Yeah" Allie said.

"Okay" Vanessa said.

Zac came into the kitchen and smiled. He walked over to Vanessa and kissed her lips softly.

"Are you guys ready to go?" Zac asked.

"Yeah" Vanessa and Allie said simultaneously.

The little family left the house and got into the car. Zac drove to Dr. Scott's office and parked his car. Zac, Vanessa, and Allie got out of the car and walked into the office. Vanessa signed Allie in and sat down next to Zac. A few minutes later, a nurse who was probably in her mid-thirties came into the waiting room with a file.

"Allie Efron?" the nurse called.

Zac, Vanessa, and Allie got up and followed the nurse. The nurse took Allie's vitals and escorted Vanessa, Zac, and Allie into an exam room.

"Dr. Scott will be right with you" the nurse said.

The nurse left the room. Zac and Vanessa looked at Allie, who looked very nervous.

"What's wrong Allie?" Vanessa asked.

"I'm scared" Allie said.

"Allie, I know you are scared. We are too. We need to find out what the problem is so we can help you" Vanessa said.

"Honey, there may not be anything wrong either. It could just be a bug or something" Zac said.

Allie shrugged. There was a knock on the door and Dr. Scott, a tall man with dark brown hair and who was probably forty years old, walked into the room.

"Hi Allie, Zac, and Vanessa" Dr. Scott said.

"Hi Dr. Scott, what's going on with Allie? Did you get the test results back?" Vanessa asked.

"I did. I am afraid it's bad news" Dr. Scott said solemnly.

"What's wrong?" Zac asked.

Dr. Scott took a deep breath and looked at the Efron's.

"Allie has Leukemia" Dr. Scott said.

Vanessa and Zac's eyes widened.

"Cancer?" Vanessa gasped.

"Yes" Dr. Scott said quietly.

"How bad is it?" Zac asked.

"It is progressing but I don't know how fast it's spreading. Right now I am assessing it as stage 4" Dr. Scott said.

Zac looked at Vanessa and entwined his fingers with hers. The couple looked at Allie.

"What is the next step? Where do we start?" Vanessa asked.

"We need to first kill as many cancer cells as possible with chemotherapy. After chemo is done, we need to move onto radiation" Dr. Scott said.

"Okay, when do we start?" Vanessa asked.

"Let's start on Monday so you all have time to process everything. Zac and Vanessa can I talk to you both for a second?" Dr. Scott asked.

"Sure" Zac and Vanessa said.

A nurse came into the room and took Allie out of the room.

"I know that this was a shock and I understand that. But you need to stay positive. It's going to be hard, but Allie needs you to be there for her more than ever" Dr. Scott said.

Zac and Vanessa nodded.

"Alright, I will set up an appointment with the oncologist that I know and that is local and I will let you know the time" Dr. Scott said.

"Okay, thank you Dr. Scott" Vanessa said as she shook the doctor's hand.

"No problem" Dr. Scott said.

Dr. Scott, Zac, and Vanessa walked out of the exam room. The couple looked at Allie and hugged their daughter. The little family left the office and walked out of the office. Zac drove home and parked his car. Zac, Vanessa, and Allie got out of the car and walked into the house.

"Allie, honey let's talk about this okay?" Vanessa said.

"I have cancer" Allie said.

"Al, I know it's shocking. But we need to stay positive okay?" Zac said.

"How can I stay positive dad? I may die" Allie said as tears formed in her eyes.

Allie ran upstairs and the couple heard the door slam. Zac and Vanessa looked at each other.

"I am going to go upstairs and try to talk to her" Vanessa said.

"Alright" Zac said.

Vanessa walked upstairs and saw Allie's door closed. She walked over to the door and took a deep breath. Vanessa knocked on the door.

"Allie, open the door please" Vanessa said.

"I don't want to talk to anyone" Allie said.

"Honey, I know this is hard to think about. Can you open the door please?" Vanessa asked.

Allie opened the door. Vanessa looked at Allie, whose eyes were bloodshot and she had tears running down her face. She opened her arms and Allie ran into them.

"I love you and I am not going to let anything happen to you okay?" Vanessa said as she kissed Allie's head.

"Am I going to die?" Allie asked.

"I can't answer that question, baby. I don't know. Your dad and I are here if you need anything" Vanessa said as tears ran down her face.

Allie nodded and sniffled.

"I'm scared" Allie said.

"I know you are Allie. We are too, but we need to take everything as it comes" Vanessa said.

"I didn't do anything wrong" Allie said.

"Baby, don't blame yourself. It's not your fault, things like this just happen" Vanessa said.

Allie took a deep breath.

"Why don't you take a little nap okay?" Vanessa suggested.

"Okay" Allie said.

Vanessa kissed Allie's head.

"I love you" Vanessa said.

"I love you too" Allie said.

Vanessa left the room and walked downstairs to the kitchen. She looked at Zac and let her tears flow freely.

"Baby, come here" Zac said.

Vanessa walked into Zac's arms and cried. Zac rubbed Vanessa's back soothingly.

"We need to take everything as it comes" Zac said.

"Our daughter has cancer" Vanessa said.

Zac kissed Vanessa's head. He tightened his grip on Vanessa and had tears running down his face.

"I love you" Zac said.

"I love you too" Vanessa said.

"We need to do what Dr. Scott said. We need to make her feel comfortable and let her come to us if she needs to. We have to stay positive" Zac said.

"It's really hard" Vanessa said.

"I know. Allie is ten years old. She doesn't know what cancer can do to a person. If she has a question, we need to make her feel comfortable coming to us and asking or she can ask the oncologist" Zac said.

Vanessa nodded. The couple heard footsteps and turned around and smiled when they saw Allie.

"Hi sweetie, do you feel a little better after your nap?" Vanessa asked.

Allie sniffled and looked at her mother.

"Mom" Allie cried.

Vanessa let go of Zac and walked over to Allie and hugged her tightly. She rubbed her back soothingly and cried herself.

"We are going to get through this okay?" Vanessa said.

Allie didn't answer. She just cried in her mother's arms. A couple days later, it was Monday, the day Allie would start her chemotherapy. The Efron's were going to meet the oncologist, Dr. Thomas at the hospital. The little family arrived at the hospital and got out of the car. Vanessa wrapped her arm around Allie and walked into the hospital. The Efron's went up to the fourth floor, the oncology unit and signed Allie in and waited in the waiting room. A few minutes later, a nurse came into the room and smiled.

"Allie?" the nurse called.

"Come on sweetheart" Vanessa said as she took Allie's hand.

Zac, Vanessa, Allie and the nurse walked into a hospital room.

"Allie, Dr. Thomas will be with you shortly" the nurse said.

"Okay" Allie said.

The nurse left the room and Vanessa looked at Allie.

"Are you feeling okay baby?" Vanessa asked.

Allie shrugged.

"It's okay to be nervous honey" Zac said.

Allie nodded. There was a knock on the door and Dr. Thomas walked into the room. Dr. Thomas was a tall man with dark brown hair and was probably fifty years old.

"Hi I'm Dr. Thomas. I heard from Dr. Scott that Allie was diagnosed with Leukemia and you are here to start your chemotherapy today" Dr. Thomas said as he shook everyone's hand.

"Yes" Vanessa said.

Dr. Thomas looked at Allie, who was holding onto her father's hand for dear life.

"Allie, I know you are scared because you have no idea what is going on. But, you have to trust that the treatment is going to work okay?" Dr. Thomas said.

"Okay" Allie said.

"Do you trust me?" Dr. Thomas asked.

"Yeah" Allie said quietly.

"Alright. How this is going to go is that Allie will receive her chemotherapy for six to seven weeks until we get as many cancer cells out as possible. She then will receive radiation and after that, we will see if it has gotten better or worse and see what the next step is okay?" Dr. Thomas said.

The Efron's nodded.

"Okay. Allie, we are going to hook you up to an IV where the chemo will be inserted into your body. There are some side effects that come with the chemo, but don't worry, they are normal" Dr. Thomas said.

"What kind of side effects?" Vanessa asked.

"Nausea, exhaustion, hair loss, and blood clotting. Effects like that. They are minor, but they are still serious" Dr. Thomas said.

"Okay" Vanessa said.

"Alright, anymore questions?" Dr. Thomas asked.

"Baby, do you have any questions?" Vanessa asked her daughter.

"I am going to lose my hair?" Allie asked.

"As the treatment proceeds it will fall out. But it will grow back, Allie" Dr. Thomas said.

Allie looked at her parents with tears in her eyes. Zac kissed her cheek softly and rubbed her back.

"Are there anymore questions?" Dr. Thomas asked.

"No" Vanessa and Zac said.

"Okay, let's get you hooked up" Dr. Thomas said.

Dr. Thomas hooked Allie up to her IV and made sure everything was working properly.

"I will be back in a little while to check on you. There is a call button if you need me" Dr. Thomas said.

"Thank you Dr. Thomas" Vanessa and Zac said.

Dr. Thomas left and the couple looked at Allie.

"Are you feeling okay honey?" Zac asked.

"I feel sleepy" Allie said.

"That's normal Allie. Is that all?" Vanessa asked.

"My hair is going to fall out" Allie said.

"Baby, it's going to grow back. I promise. Dr. Thomas said that it would also" Vanessa said.

A couple hours later, Allie was sleeping in the hospital bed and Zac was sitting with her while Vanessa left the room to make a call. Allie woke up and looked at Zac.

"Hi sweetie, how are you feeling?" Zac asked.

Allie just leaned over a bowl that was next to the bed and released the contents of her stomach. Zac rubbed her back soothingly, whispering comforting things in his daughter's ear. After Allie finished, she looked at her father.

"How long do I have left?" Allie asked.

"You have an hour left honey. Do you need anything?" Zac asked.

"Hold me" Allie said.

Zac lied on the side of the bed carefully, because of the IV, and wrapped his arm around Allie.

"I love you" Zac said.

"I love you too" Allie said.

Vanessa came back into the hospital room and smiled.

"How are you feeling honey?" Vanessa asked.

"Sick" Allie said.

"She just threw up" Zac said.

"You are almost done" Vanessa said.

Allie sighed.

"Do you want to try to go back to sleep?" Zac asked his daughter.

Allie nodded and leaned her head against her father's chest. She then fell asleep in her father's arms.

"Was there anything else that happened while I was gone?" Vanessa whispered.

"No, she woke up and immediately threw up" Zac whispered.

"Okay" Vanessa said.

An hour later, Dr. Thomas came into the room and smiled.

"Hi guys, how are you feeling Allie?" Dr. Thomas asked.

"Sick" Allie said.

"I'm sorry. On a positive note, you finished your first chemotherapy dose. I am going to take the IV out and you will be free to go home" Dr. Thomas said.

Dr. Thomas took Allie's IV out of her arm.

"Vanessa, these are some anti-nausea and pain pills just in case there is a problem" Dr. Thomas said as he handed her a bag.

"Thank you" Vanessa said.

"I will see you for another round on Wednesday" Dr. Thomas said.

"Okay" Allie said.

Dr. Thomas left the room. Zac and Vanessa looked at Allie.

"Are you ready to go sweetie?" Vanessa asked.

"Yeah" Allie said.

Allie got off the hospital bed and felt dizzy. Zac caught Allie in his arms.

"Are you okay?" Zac asked.

"I got a little dizzy" Allie said.

The little family left the hospital and walked to their car. Zac drove home and parked his car in the driveway. Zac, Vanessa, and Allie got out of the car and walked into the house. Allie walked upstairs and went into her room and closed the door. Vanessa looked at Zac.

"She's hurting, Zac. Our little girl is hurting" Vanessa said as tears ran down her face.

Zac's face softened.

"Baby, everything is going to be okay. Allie is probably in shock" Zac said.

"Yeah. Dylan called me and he said he wants to see her" Vanessa said.

"Is he coming over?" Zac asked.

"Yeah" Vanessa said.

Dylan and Allie were very close. Allie looked up to her Uncle Dylan so much. Dylan was always there when she needed him. The doorbell rang and Vanessa walked to the door and opened it. Dylan just hugged Vanessa.

"How is she?" Dylan asked.

"There is a lot going through her head right now. She's gone through a lot today" Vanessa said.

"Is she upstairs?" Dylan asked.

"Yeah she is. But, I don't know if you are going to get any information out of her, Dylan" Vanessa said.

"There is no harm in trying. I want to be there for her through this whole thing" Dylan said.

Zac and Vanessa smiled. Vanessa hugged Dylan.

"I'm going to go upstairs and see how things are going" Dylan said.

"Alright, let us know if you need anything" Zac said.

Dylan walked upstairs and walked to Allie's bedroom door, which was still closed. Dylan took a deep breath and knocked on the door.

"Who is it?" Allie asked.

"It's Uncle Dylan, Al" Dylan said.

Allie opened the door and jumped into her Uncle's arms. She wrapped her arms and legs around Dylan and cried. Dylan walked into Allie's bedroom and sat on her bed.

"How are you doing sweetheart? I heard you had a rough day" Dylan said.

"I had my first chemo today" Allie said.

"I wish I could have been there" Dylan said.

Allie shrugged and looked at Dylan.

"It's okay" Allie said.

"How are you feeling?" Dylan asked.

"I feel sick. I don't feel like myself. I'm scared, Uncle Dylan" Allie said as tears ran down her face.

Dylan hugged Allie and rubbed her back.

"Hey, I know you are scared and I know you don't feel like yourself honey. But, I know you and I know that you will make this situation into a good one, like you always do" Dylan said.

"I don't know" Allie said.

"You need to stay positive, Al. I know that everyone is telling you that. But that's the only way you are going to get through this" Dylan said.

"It's just hard to think about" Allie said.

"I know it is. When your mom called me and told me, I didn't believe it. My little Allie had a disease that could do more harm than good" Dylan said.

"Am I going to die?" Allie asked.

Dylan stayed quiet and looked at his niece.

"I don't know Allie. I wish I could answer that question for you" Dylan said.

Allie hugged Dylan.

"I love you" Allie said.

Dylan smiled and kissed Allie's head.

"I love you too Allie. I'm not going to let anything happen to you, I promise" Dylan said.

Allie nodded.

"I have to get going. Your aunt Stella is going to kill me for being late. I will see you soon" Dylan said.

"Okay" Allie said.

Dylan left Allie's room and wiped his tears that were streaming down his face. He walked downstairs and looked at his older brother.

"How is she?" Zac asked.

"She opened up to me. I am not going to tell you anything that was said because Allie should be the one to tell you what she is feeling. But you have one brave little girl upstairs, that I will tell you" Dylan said.

Zac smiled and hugged his brother.

"Thank you Dylan for talking to her" Zac said.

"No problem. Let me know when her next chemo is. I want to be there" Dylan said.

"I will" Zac said.

Zac walked Dylan out and closed the door. He walked upstairs and knocked on Allie's door. Allie opened the door. Zac opened his arms and Allie ran into them.

"How are you feeling?" Zac asked.

"I feel tired and a little nauseous" Allie said.

"Do you want your anti-nausea pills?" Zac asked.

"No, because it's not that bad" Allie said.

Zac smiled and kissed Allie's cheek.

"You are a trooper, Allie. I love you and you are going to fight this" Zac said.

"Thanks dad. I hope I do" Allie said.

The rest of the day, Zac, Vanessa, and Allie hung around the house. Zac and Vanessa would help Allie when she would throw up. The little family tried to comprehend Allie's condition and how to deal with it.


	2. The Starting Point

The next day Allie woke up and turned over in bed. She sighed and got out of bed. Allie stood up and stretched but then put her hand to her mouth and ran to the bathroom and threw up. Vanessa heard noise coming from the bathroom and walked quickly to the bathroom and saw Allie regurgitating the remains of her stomach. Vanessa sat down next to Allie and rubbed her back.

"It's okay baby, relax" Vanessa said.

After Allie finished, she looked at her mother.

"Are you okay?" Vanessa asked.

"I feel sick" Allie said.

"That means the chemo is working" Vanessa said.

"I hate this" Allie said as she rubbed her eyes.

"You didn't sleep last night, did you Allie?" Vanessa asked.

"No" Allie said.

"What's on your mind honey?" Vanessa asked.

"I am scared of what is going to happen to me. I don't want to feel like this for the rest of my life" Allie said.

"Sweetheart, listen to me okay? You are going to fight this. I know you don't want to deal with this for the rest of your life. Dad and I don't want you to either. But whatever happens, happens. You can't control this. Everybody is rooting for you. You are one of the strongest people I know. If anyone can get through this, it's you. You have to keep an open mind" Vanessa said.

Allie nodded.

"Come here" Vanessa said as she opened her arms.

Allie moved into Vanessa's arms. Vanessa kissed Allie's cheek softly.

"I love you so much Allie" Vanessa said.

"I love you too mom" Allie said.

Zac walked past the bathroom but then took a couple steps back and saw Vanessa and Allie on the bathroom floor.

"What's going on?" Zac asked.

"I threw up again" Allie said.

Zac sighed.

"How do you feel now?" Zac asked.

"Alright, just tired" Allie said.

"Grandma and Grandpa want to come see you today" Vanessa said.

"You told them?" Allie asked.

"Yes, I did" Vanessa said.

"Stop telling everyone. It's just making everyone upset" Allie said as she got off the floor and walked out of the bathroom.

"Allie, our family is the only people that know" Zac said.

"I'm sick of hearing "Allie has Leukemia". I don't want to talk about it anymore" Allie said as she walked into her room and closed the door.

Zac looked at Vanessa.

"She's just trying to figure everything out, Zac. Telling a ten year old that she has cancer isn't the easiest thing to do" Vanessa said.

"I just want to know why she won't talk to us about it. We are her parents and we are going through it with her" Zac said.

"But it's not the same, Zac. Allie has to be injected with chemo. We don't. There is a big difference. She will talk to us when she wants to" Vanessa said.

"The only people that know are my family and yours" Zac said.

"Yeah I know. She is a little girl, Zac. She needs time to think" Vanessa said.

"Should I try and talk to her?" Zac asked.

"No. When she wants to talk, she will talk to you or I or both of us" Vanessa said.

Zac sighed.

"Alright. What time does she have chemo tomorrow?" Zac asked.

"She has it at ten" Vanessa said.

"Okay, I have to call Dylan and tell him. He said that he wanted to be there" Zac said.

Zac left the room and called his parents and cancelled their plans to visit and then called his brother and told him when Allie's chemo was. That night, Zac was in his office working on some press conference questions when Allie came into the room.

"Hey dad, can I talk to you?" Allie asked.

Zac looked up and smiled.

"Yeah honey. Take a seat" Zac said motioning to the chair in front of his desk.

Allie sat down and looked at her father.

"What's on your mind, Al?" Zac asked.

"First of all, I am sorry for yelling earlier. Everything is just running through my head and I can't get it to stop" Allie said.

Zac smiled and took Allie's hand in his.

"Sweetheart, don't apologize. I know everything is really crazy right now. You have every right to be upset" Zac said.

"It's hard to think about. I'm only ten and I have to deal with a disease that could kill me" Allie said.

"I know. Your mom and I were just trying to help. We wanted to tell the family because we wanted you to have some support, that's all. We should have asked you before we did that. I'm sorry, Al" Zac said.

"I know now that you were trying to help" Allie said.

"Let me ask you this okay? Be honest. Why don't you want to talk about this with us?" Zac asked.

"You and mom are already upset that I have cancer. I don't want to make everyone feel worse by talking about it" Allie said.

"But honey, if you get your feelings out, then maybe one of us feels the same way. We could feel the same way you do" Zac said.

"I'm scared that I am going to die" Allie said.

Zac swallowed hard.

"Sweetheart, it's okay to be scared. But, you aren't in really bad condition so you have nothing to worry about right now okay? Let's just take everything as it comes and not look ahead right now" Zac said.

Allie nodded.

"Come on, it's time for bed" Zac said as he got up from his desk.

Zac and Allie walked out of the office and went upstairs. They walked into Allie's room. Allie got into bed and looked at her dad.

"Good night sweetie, I love you" Zac said.

"Night dad, I love you too" Allie said.

Zac kissed Allie's head and walked out of the bedroom. He then walked into the master bedroom and sat on the bed. Vanessa looked at Zac.

"What's wrong?" Vanessa asked.

"Allie came downstairs and finally talked about everything that was going through her head" Zac said.

"What did she say?" Vanessa asked.

"She's scared that she is going to die" Zac said.

"What?" Vanessa asked as she looked at Zac.

"That's what she told me. She also said that doesn't want to talk about the cancer because we are already upset about the fact that she has it" Zac explained.

Vanessa sighed and sniffled. She wrapped her arms around Zac and put her face in his neck. Zac rubbed her back soothingly.

"Babe, do you want to talk about it?" Zac asked.

"Why did this have to happen to Allie? What did she do that made this happen?" Vanessa asked as tears ran down her face.

"I don't know baby. I really don't. She didn't do anything. It just happened" Zac said.

"I hope she is okay during chemo tomorrow" Vanessa said.

"She will be. Dylan said he is coming so she will be distracted from everything for a little while" Zac said.

"Yeah" Vanessa said.

"Get some sleep, Van. Tomorrow is going to be a long day" Zac said as he kissed Vanessa's lips.

"Alright. Good night, love you" Vanessa said.

"Night, I love you too" Zac said.

The couple fell asleep. The next morning, Vanessa woke up and looked at the clock which read eight AM. She got out of bed and walked out of the bedroom and went to Allie's room. Vanessa walked into Allie's room and sat on the edge of her bed.

"Allie baby, you need to wake up. You have chemo today" Vanessa said.

"I don't want to go. I don't feel well" Allie said.

"Sweetheart, you need to get up" Vanessa said.

Allie opened her eyes and looked at her mother.

"I don't want to go" Allie repeated.

"I know you don't but you have to" Vanessa said.

Allie moaned and turned over in bed.

"Allie, come on. You need to get up" Vanessa said.

Allie got up and Vanessa looked at her daughter. Allie walked down the hall and went into the bathroom. Vanessa followed her.

"How are you feeling today?" Vanessa asked.

"Sick as usual" Allie said as she washed her face.

Allie walked out of the bathroom and went downstairs to the kitchen. She made herself breakfast and was about to walk upstairs when she saw Zac.

"Hi honey" Zac said.

"Hi" Allie said.

"Uncle Dylan will be here in a little while. Go get dressed" Zac said.

"Okay" Allie said.

Allie walked upstairs and got dressed. She then heard the doorbell ring and ran downstairs. Allie walked to the front door and opened it. Dylan stood in front of her and smiled.

"Hey Al, how are you feeling today?" Dylan asked.

"Okay. I just threw up" Allie said.

"You just threw up and you are smiling about that?" Dylan asked.

"I don't want to deal with it today" Allie said.

Dylan smiled and hugged his niece.

"Are you and your parents ready to go?" Dylan asked.

"Let me go check" Allie said as she ran upstairs.

Zac and Vanessa were about to walk downstairs when they saw Allie coming upstairs.

"Uncle Dylan is here" Allie said.

"Okay" Zac and Vanessa said simultaneously.

Zac, Vanessa, and Allie walked downstairs. The little family and Dylan left the house and drove to the hospital. They all got out of the car and walked into the hospital and took the elevator to the fourth floor, the oncology ward. Vanessa signed Allie in and sat down next to Zac. A few minutes later, a nurse came into the waiting room.

"Allie Efron?" the nurse called.

Vanessa, Zac, Allie, and Dylan got up and followed the nurse to a room that smelled like latex gloves.

"Allie, we need you to lie down on the hospital bed and Dr. Thomas will be with you shortly" the nurse said.

"Okay" Allie said.

The nurse left the room and Allie looked at Dylan.

"You feeling okay, Al?" Dylan asked.

"I'm nervous" Allie said.

"Hey, that's okay. Your parents and I are here. We aren't going to leave you" Dylan said.

"I just don't want to feel sick again" Allie said.

Dylan smiled and kissed Allie's head.

"I know you don't. We don't want you to either. Everything is going to be okay" Dylan said.

Allie hugged Dylan tightly.

"I love you kid" Dylan said.

Allie giggled at their inside joke.

"I love you too kid" Allie said.

Dr. Thomas walked into the room and smiled.

"Hi Allie, are you ready for another round?" Dr. Thomas asked.

"No, but I have to do it" Allie said.

Vanessa and Zac smiled.

"Alright, I am going to put the IV in like last time" Dr. Thomas said as he grabbed the IV from a drawer that was next to the hospital bed.

Allie sighed nervously.

"It's okay Allie, I'm right here" Dylan said as he took her hand.

Allie looked at her uncle with tears in her eyes.

"Allie, you are just going to feel a pinch" Dr. Thomas said.

Allie had tears running down her face as Dr. Thomas inserted the IV into her arm.

"There, we are all done. I will come back in a little while and check on you" Dr. Thomas said.

Allie nodded. Dr. Thomas left the room and Dylan looked at Allie.

"You okay?" Dylan asked as he wiped Allie's tears away.

"I don't like needles" Allie said.

"You are like your dad. He hates them" Dylan said as he looked at Zac.

"I only fainted once, Dylan" Zac said.

"But you did faint" Dylan said.

Allie giggled. An hour later, Allie was laying on her side. The chemo was making her feel really sick.

"Dad, get the bowl" Allie said quickly.

Zac got a bowl that was next to the hospital bed and put it under his daughter's mouth. Allie regurgitated everything that was in her stomach. Dylan rubbed her back soothingly. After she finished, Vanessa wiped Allie's mouth and kissed her head.

"Try and go to sleep, sweetheart" Vanessa said.

Allie nodded. She curled up in a ball and closed her eyes and fell asleep.

"She's a trooper" Dylan said.

"Yeah, I am going to get coffee, does anyone want any?" Zac asked.

"Yes please" Dylan and Vanessa simultaneously.

"Alright" Zac said as he left the room.

A few minutes later, Dylan and Vanessa heard a faint noise.

"Mommy" Allie said softly.

Vanessa got up from her seat and walked over to the hospital bed and looked at Allie.

"What's wrong honey?" Vanessa asked.

"Hold me" Allie said.

Vanessa lied down next to Allie and held her daughter in her arms.

"How are you feeling?" Vanessa asked.

"Sick. Everything feels like it's not working" Allie said.

Vanessa sighed.

"It's okay Allie. Everything is going to be okay" Vanessa said as she kissed Allie's head.

Dylan walked over to the hospital bed.

"Hey sweetie, how are you feeling?" Dylan asked.

"Sick" Allie repeated.

"Is she allowed to take any medication when she feels like that, Van?" Dylan asked.

"No, Dr. Thomas said that it's just part of the chemo. Medication won't do anything" Vanessa said.

Dylan sighed and rubbed Allie's back. Zac came back into Allie's hospital room with three cups of coffee.

"Hey Al, did you take a nap?" Zac asked.

"Not really. I don't feel good" Allie said.

Zac kissed Allie's head softly.

"I love you" Zac said.

"I love you too" Allie said.

Dr. Thomas came into the room and smiled.

"Hi Allie, how are you feeling?" Dr. Thomas asked.

"I don't feel well" Allie said as she leaned her head against Vanessa's shoulder.

"I'm sorry. I need to do some tests to make sure the chemo is working properly" Dr. Thomas said.

"What kinds of tests?" Vanessa asked.

"I need to do a blood test, urine sample, and an MRI just to be sure that the chemo is working" Dr. Thomas said.

"Okay" Vanessa said.

Dr. Thomas walked over to a drawer that was next to the bed and pulled out a syringe and a vile. He then walked over to the bed.

"Okay Allie, this is just like the IV. You will just feel a pinch" Dr. Thomas said.

Allie nodded. Dr. Thomas disinfected the area on Allie's arm where he would insert the needle. He then stuck the needle into Allie's arm.

"See that wasn't so bad, was it?" Dr. Thomas asked.

"I want to go home" Allie whispered.

"I know baby, but you need to get this done and finish your dose" Vanessa said.

After Allie's vile filled, Dr. Thomas removed the needle from her arm.

"Now, we need to do a urine sample" Dr. Thomas said as he handed Allie a cup.

Allie carefully got off the bed and walked to the bathroom. She closed the door and filled the cup. Two minutes later, Allie opened the door and walked over to Dr. Thomas and handed the container to him and got back into bed.

"Good, now we have to do an MRI. It will be a forty five minute procedure. You are only allowed to have one person in the MRI procedure room" Dr. Thomas explained.

Allie looked at her parents and then at Dylan.

"I want Uncle Dylan to go with me" Allie said.

Dylan smiled.

"Okay, we are going to wheel you down to the radiation department" Dr. Thomas said as he unlocked the wheels of the bed.

Dr. Thomas then started pushing Allie's hospital bed out of the room with Zac, Vanessa, and Dylan following behind. Dr. Thomas wheeled Allie to the radiation department and stopped at the MRI prep room.

"Alright Allie, we have to get you set up" Dr. Thomas said as he helped Allie get off the hospital bed.

Allie nodded.

"Who is going into the MRI with her?" Dr. Thomas asked.

"I am" Dylan said.

"Who are you?" Dr. Thomas asked.

"I'm Allie's uncle and Zac's brother" Dylan said.

"Okay" Dr. Thomas said.

Dr. Thomas, Allie, and Dylan walked into the prep room. Dr. Thomas handed Allie a gown.

"Take everything off Allie" Dr. Thomas said.

"Okay" Allie said.

A couple minutes later, Allie was dressed and ready to go. Dylan put his arm around Allie and followed Dr. Thomas into the MRI procedure room.

"Allie, lie down on this bed" Dr. Thomas instructed.

Dylan helped Allie lie down on the bed.

"Now, your uncle is going to stay with you. I just need to get a couple pictures of the inside of your body" Dr. Thomas said.

"Okay" Allie said.

Dr. Thomas left the room. Dylan smiled at Allie.

"You feeling okay?" Dylan asked.

"I feel sick" Allie said.

"I'm sorry kid" Dylan said.

Allie smiled.

"It's okay kid, it's not your fault" Allie said.

There was a noise that started in the room and then Dr. Thomas' voice came through a speaker.

"Alright Allie, I am going to turn on the MRI and we will get started" Dr. Thomas said.

There was a loud noise and the bed that Allie was laying on started moving.

"I'm right here Al" Dylan said.

The bed moved into a tube and Allie couldn't see Dylan.

"Uncle Dylan?" Allie called.

"I'm here Allie. It's okay" Dylan said.

Allie heard Dr. Thomas' voice in the tube.

"Allie, we are going to start the MRI okay? Just take deep breaths" Dr. Thomas said.

"Okay" Allie said.

Forty-five minutes later, the procedure had finished and Dr. Thomas pressed the off button on the MRI and the bed moved forward and out of the tube. Once Allie was out of the tube, Dylan smiled.

"You are done" Dylan said.

Allie smiled. Dr. Thomas removed the syringe from Allie's arms and helped her stand up. Dylan walked to the other side of the bed and helped her walk.

"Allie, you just need to finish your chemo and then you can go home" Dr. Thomas said.

"Okay" Allie said.

Dylan helped Allie get back onto the hospital bed and Dr. Thomas wheeled her back to the hospital room. Zac and Vanessa were waiting in the hospital room and smiled when they saw Allie's face.

"She just needs to finish her chemo and then she can go home" Dr. Thomas said.

"Okay" Zac and Vanessa said.

Dr. Thomas hooked Allie back up to her chemo and left the room.

"How much do I have left?" Allie asked weakly.

"Only a little bit baby. Then you can go home" Vanessa said.

Allie nodded. An hour later, Dr. Thomas came back into the room and smiled.

"You are done. Let's get the IV off and you can go home" Dr. Thomas said as he took the IV out of Allie's arm.

Allie sat up and grabbed the bowl that was next to the bed and regurgitated the remains of her stomach. Dylan and Vanessa rubbed her back soothingly. After Allie finished, she looked at her mother.

"I want to go home" Allie said.

"I know baby. We are going home" Vanessa said as she kissed Allie's cheek.

Allie got off the bed and changed back into her clothes. Vanessa, Zac, Allie, and Dylan left the hospital and drove to the Efron home. Everyone got out of the car and went into the house.

"Allie, why don't you take a nap?" Vanessa suggested.

"Okay" Allie said.

"Say goodbye to Uncle Dylan. He won't be here when you wake up probably" Zac said.

Allie ran into her uncle's arms. Dylan wrapped his arms around Allie and kissed her head.

"Thank you for coming" Allie said.

"You are welcome. Get some rest okay? I love you" Dylan said.

"I love you too" Allie said.

Allie walked upstairs. This was the start of a long journey that Allie would have to endure for the rest of her life.


	3. A Turn For The Worst

The next couple weeks had gone very slow for the Efron family. Allie was feeling horribly because of the chemotherapy. She was very weak and couldn't walk for more than a couple minutes. Zac and Vanessa were worried about Allie. They knew that the side effects that Allie had been experiencing were normal but it was just hard for them to watch everything happen. One morning, Allie opened her eyes and looked around her room and felt her muscles aching. She moaned in pain and couldn't move around.

"Daddy?" Allie cried.

Zac heard Allie and walked quickly into his daughter's bedroom and sat on the edge of her bed.

"What's wrong baby?" Zac asked.

"My muscles hurt a lot. I can't move anything" Allie cried.

"Do you want me to give you one of your meds?" Zac asked.

Allie nodded and cried.

"Why did this happen to me?" Allie cried.

"Allie sweetheart, don't cry. I don't know why you have cancer, I wish I knew. You are strong and you are going to fight this, Al. I am going to go get your pills and I will be back" Zac said.

Allie nodded. Zac left the room and wiped the tears that were cascading down his face. He walked downstairs and went into the kitchen where Vanessa was.

"What's wrong Zac?" Vanessa asked when she saw her husband crying.

"She's in a lot of pain" Zac said as he grabbed Allie's pain medication bottle.

"Why are you crying?" Vanessa asked.

"I don't want to talk about it" Zac said as he walked upstairs.

Zac wiped his tears away and took a deep breath. He walked into Allie's room and sat on the edge of her bed.

"Baby, here's your pill" Zac said.

"I can't move daddy" Allie cried.

Zac put the pill in Allie's mouth and put a glass of water to her mouth. He tilted Allie's head back and watched her swallow the pill and the water.

"You will feel better in a little while, okay? Do you need anything else?" Zac asked.

"Stay here" Allie said.

Zac smiled and kissed Allie's head.

"I'm not going anywhere" Zac said as he moved to a free spot on Allie's bed.

Allie leaned her head against her father's chest.

"When will the cancer get better?" Allie asked.

"I can't answer that sweetheart. You just need to have faith that you will get better. It may not be today or tomorrow, but you will get better. I promise" Zac said.

Allie nodded. Vanessa came into the room and leaned against the door frame of Allie's room.

"Are you okay Allie?" Vanessa asked.

"My muscles hurt and I can't move anything" Allie said.

"You gave her the pill right?" Vanessa asked.

"Yeah, I just gave it to her" Zac said.

"You will feel better in a little while. Can I get you anything?" Vanessa asked.

"No. I love you" Allie said.

Vanessa smiled and tears ran down her cheeks. She sniffled.

"I love you too baby girl. You are going to get better okay?" Vanessa said.

Allie nodded.

"Aunt Stella and Uncle Dylan are going to come over later. They want to see you" Vanessa said.

"Okay" Allie said.

Vanessa left the room and Zac looked at Allie.

"How are you feeling?" Zac asked.

"I feel a little better" Allie said.

"Okay" Zac said.

A few minutes later, Zac looked at Allie and saw that she was asleep. He smiled and kissed Allie's head.

"I love you Al" Zac whispered.

"I love you too dad" Allie whispered.

Zac smiled and got off Allie's bed and walked out of the room. He walked downstairs and went into the living room where Vanessa was sitting.

"Is she okay?" Vanessa asked.

"Yeah, she just fell asleep" Zac said.

"Are you going to tell me what happened earlier?" Vanessa asked.

"I just got a little emotional that's all. Seeing my daughter, who I love very much, be in so much pain made me upset. I couldn't do anything to help her feel better" Zac said.

Vanessa smiled.

"Babe, what you did just now with Allie is what is going to make her feel better. She has a father that loves and cares about her so much. Just being with Allie will make her feel better" Vanessa said.

"It was just hard to watch her go through that. I don't know how other parents deal with their child's pain" Zac said.

Vanessa smiled.

"I know it's hard. You are a really good dad, Zac. Allie looks at you for strength. She knows that you are the one that can protect her from harm" Vanessa said.

"Hey, you are an amazing mom, Van. You have to deal with all of the test results and figure out how Allie can raise or lower the numbers and all of that" Zac said.

Vanessa got up and walked over to Zac and sat next to him. Vanessa leaned her head against Zac's shoulder.

"I love you" Vanessa said.

"I love you too" Zac said.

"Stella and Dylan are going to be here soon. I am going to go upstairs and check on Allie" Vanessa said.

"Okay" Zac said.

Vanessa walked upstairs and went into Allie's room and saw her eyes open.

"How are you feeling sweetheart?" Vanessa asked.

"I feel better. When is this going to stop mom?" Allie asked.

"I don't know baby. You are so strong and I know you are going to be able to get through this. Your dad and I are going to help you" Vanessa said.

Allie nodded.

"Uncle Dylan and Aunt Stella are going to be here in a couple minutes. I want you to stay up here. I will bring them up here" Vanessa said.

"Okay" Allie said.

Vanessa kissed Allie's head softly.

"I love you Al" Vanessa said.

"I love you too mom" Allie said.

Vanessa left the room and walked downstairs and heard the doorbell ring. She walked over to the front door and opened it.

"Hi Van" Dylan said as he hugged Vanessa.

"Hi Van" Stella said as she hugged her sister.

"How's Allie doing today?" Dylan asked.

"She's in a lot of pain. She had severe muscle pain throughout her whole body. Zac just gave her the pain medication that Dr. Thomas gave us. She just woke up a little while ago. You guys can go upstairs" Vanessa said.

"Alright" Stella said.

Stella and Dylan walked upstairs and went into Allie's room.

"Hi sweetie, how are you feeling?" Stella asked as she sat on the edge of Allie's bed.

"I'm okay right now. I just took my pain medication because I was having muscle pain all over my body" Allie said.

"When is your next chemo?"Dylan asked.

"Next week, thankfully. I can finally get a break. I'm so tired of this" Allie said.

"We are rooting for you Al. I know that it hasn't been easy to go through all of this, but you are doing amazing. I don't think I could ever be as strong as you" Stella said.

Allie smiled.

"How are my parents?" Allie asked.

"What do you mean honey?" Stella asked.

"I know that my parents must be upset and freaking out but they don't want to show it" Allie said.

"They are doing okay. Your parents are just trying to find a way to make you feel comfortable" Dylan said.

Allie nodded.

"Don't worry about anything okay? You can't stress yourself out" Stella said.

"Alright" Allie said.

"Well we will let you rest and we will see you later okay? I love you Allie" Stella said as she kissed Allie's cheek.

"I love you Aunt Stella" Allie said.

Dylan smiled.

"I love you kid. Stay strong, okay?" Dylan said.

Allie smiled and hugged her uncle. Dylan rubbed her back soothingly.

"You okay?" Dylan asked.

"Am I going to be okay Uncle Dylan?" Allie asked.

Dylan put his hand on Allie's head and kissed her cheek.

"You are going to be okay sweetie. I love you and I will see you soon okay?" Dylan said.

"I love you too" Allie said.

Dylan pulled away and winked at Allie. Dylan and Stella walked downstairs and went into the living room.

"How did it go?" Zac asked.

"She got a little emotional" Stella said.

"What happened?" Vanessa asked.

"She asked us how you both were. She thinks that you are upset and freaking out but you don't want to show it" Dylan said.

Vanessa sighed and looked at Zac.

"We just want to make her feel comfortable. She doesn't need to worry about us" Zac said.

"We will talk to her. Thanks for coming guys" Vanessa said as she hugged Dylan and Stella.

"No problem" Dylan said.

Dylan and Stella left the house. Vanessa looked at Zac and kissed his cheek.

"Should we go upstairs and talk to her?" Vanessa asked.

"Yeah, let's get this sorted out" Zac said.

The couple walked upstairs and went into Allie's room and sat down.

"How are you feeling Al?" Zac asked.

"Okay, I think the pain meds are starting to wear off though" Allie said.

"Honey, we need to talk to you about something" Vanessa said.

"What?" Allie asked.

"Uncle Dylan and Aunt Stella told us that you asked how we were and that you knew we were upset about all of this" Vanessa explained.

"You and dad just are always thinking about me and I am going through a lot. I know that you are upset about stuff but don't want me to see because we are trying to be positive about all of this" Allie said.

"Allie, I will admit that I have been getting upset about everything that is going on. I don't want to show you how I am feeling because I don't want you to feel bad or get upset. Your mom and I just want you to be as happy as you can right now. How about this, if anyone feels a certain way, we will talk about how we are feeling with the family okay?" Zac suggested.

Allie nodded.

"What do you think Van?" Zac asked.

"I think that is a good idea" Vanessa said.

"Alright, then it's settled. Now get some rest okay?" Zac said as he put Allie's blankets over her body.

"I love you" Vanessa said.

"I love you too" Allie said.

"Love you Al" Zac said as he kissed Allie's cheek.

"I love you too" Allie said.

Get some rest" Zac said.

Zac and Vanessa walked out of Allie's room and went into the master bedroom.

"Allie has an appointment tomorrow with Dr. Thomas. He is going to tell us the test results" Vanessa said.

"Okay, what time?" Zac asked.

"Ten" Vanessa said.

"Alright" Zac said.

Vanessa opened her computer and started looking up Leukemia articles. Zac looked over Vanessa's shoulder.

"What are you looking up?" Zac asked.

"I am just looking up some stuff about Leukemia" Vanessa said.

"Babe, don't get yourself worked up over that information. Some of it probably doesn't work for everyone" Zac said.

"It's worth a try" Vanessa said.

"Alright. I am going to sleep. Good night. I love you" Zac said as he kissed Vanessa's lips.

"Night, I love you too" Vanessa said.

Zac and Vanessa fell asleep. The next morning, Zac woke up and heard movement coming from down the hall. He got out of bed and walked down the hall to the bathroom and saw Allie with tears running down her face.

"What's wrong honey?" Zac asked.

"My hair is falling out" Allie said as she held a piece of her hair in her hand.

"Let me see" Zac said. as he turned Allie's face toward him.

Zac looked at Allie's head and saw that her hair was indeed falling out. He kneeled in front of Allie.

"Baby, do you want to talk about it?" Zac asked.

"Why does cancer make your hair fall out?" Allie asked as she looked at her father.

" Chemo is the thing that is making your hair fall out, sweetheart. The chemicals in it are supposed to do that so they can kill as many cancer cells as they can" Zac said.

"When will I be normal again?" Allie asked.

"Al I can't answer that because I don't know honey. All we can do is wait and see what happens" Zac said.

"Is all of my hair going to fall out?" Allie asked.

"I don't think so but we will have to wait and see. Come here" Zac said.

Allie walked over to her father. Zac picked her up and put her in his lap.

"Whatever happens, we will deal with together okay?" Zac said.

"Okay" Allie said.

"Alright" Zac said as he hugged Allie.

Allie walked out of the bathroom and went downstairs. Zac walked into the master bedroom and saw that Vanessa was awake.

"What happened?" Vanessa asked.

"Her hair is falling out" Zac said.

"Oh no, what did she say?" Vanessa asked.

"We talked about it. I told her that it was normal and that her hair would grow back" Zac said.

"Her hair falling out makes it feel more real" Vanessa said.

"I know. We have to stay positive though Van" Zac said.

Vanessa sighed.

"I have to get up. Her appointment is in an hour" Vanessa said as she got out of bed.

Vanessa picked out her outfit and walked into the bathroom and took a shower. Twenty minutes later, Vanessa emerged from the bathroom feeling much better than she had earlier that morning. She saw the Zac was longer in the bedroom and walked downstairs to the kitchen. Zac and Allie were sitting at the kitchen table eating breakfast when Vanessa walked in.

"Good morning" Vanessa said. as she wrapped her arms around Zac and kissed his cheek.

"Good morning babe" Zac said as he kissed Vanessa's lips.

Vanessa walked over to Allie and kissed her cheek.

"How are you feeling sweetie?" Vanessa asked.

"My hair is falling out" Allie said.

"Baby, that's normal. Once you are done with chemo, it will grow back" Vanessa said.

"How do you know?" Allie asked.

"I know because I am your mom. That's how I know. Finish eating and go get dressed. We need to leave soon" Vanessa said.

Allie stood up with her bowl and brought it to the sink. She stopped and squeezed her eyes shut and whined. Zac looked at Allie. He got up and put his hand on his daughter's back.

"What's wrong Al?" Zac asked.

"My body hurts again" Allie said.

"Do you need help walking upstairs?" Zac asked.

Allie nodded. Zac helped Allie walk upstairs and went into her bedroom.

"Here, tell me what you want to wear and I will get it for you" Zac said as he brought Allie to her bed.

"I just want my sweats" Allie said.

"Okay" Zac said as he opened Allie's drawer and pulled out her sweats.

Zac handed Allie her clothes.

"Do you need some help changing or are you okay?"Zac asked.

"I think I am okay" Allie said.

"Alright, call me if you need me" Zac said as he left the room.

Ten minutes later, Allie finished changing and carefully walked downstairs to the kitchen. Vanessa looked at Allie.

"Is the pain better or worse?" Vanessa asked.

"The same" Allie said.

"We need to get going. Zac?" Vanessa called.

Zac came into the kitchen and looked at Allie.

"Do you want one of your pain pills Allie?"Zac asked.

Allie nodded. Zac took the pill bottle that was in the kitchen cabinet and handed a pill to Allie.

"Let's go" Vanessa said.

The little family left the house and drove to the hospital. Zac parked his car and got out and helped Allie get out of the car. They then walked into the hospital and took the elevator to the fourth floor. Vanessa signed Allie in and then sat next to Zac. A couple minutes later, a nurse came into the waiting room with a file.

"Allie Efron?" the nurse called.

Zac, Vanessa, and Allie got up and walked over to the nurse, who took the little family to an exam room.

"Dr. Thomas will be in shortly" the nurse said as she left the room.

Vanessa looked at Allie.

"How are you feeling honey?" Allie asked.

"I'm tired" Allie said as she wiped her eyes.

"You will be able to go to sleep when we get home" Zac said.

There was a knock on the door and Dr. Thomas came into the room.

"Hey kiddo, how are you feeling?" Dr. Thomas asked.

"Tired" Allie said.

"I have Allie's test results" Dr. Thomas said.

Zac entwined his fingers with Vanessa's.

"The results were not good. All of the tests numbers were extremely high. I need to admit her to the hospital as soon as possible" Dr. Thomas said.

"Do you have an idea of why they were so high?" Vanessa asked worriedly.

"I think that the Leukemia is progressing, Vanessa. With all the tests that were done, she still is showing signs of stage four cancer" Dr. Thomas said.

"What can we do to decrease the numbers?" Vanessa asked.

"We may need to change her dose of chemo. I'm not sure. We have to use trial and error" Dr. Thomas said.

Vanessa took a deep breath.

"Is she going to die?" Vanessa asked as tears ran down her face.

"Van, don't do this right now" Zac said motioning to Allie.

Vanessa looked at Allie and wrapped her arms around her daughter.

"To answer your question, I don't know. Her test results could go down next time. There isn't anything anyone can do right now" Dr. Thomas said.

"When will her next chemo be?" Zac asked.

"Tomorrow. I am going to admit her as soon as we are done here" Dr. Thomas said.

Vanessa and Zac nodded. After the appointment, Dr. Thomas called a nurse to bring Allie to the oncology ward of the hospital. The nurse wheeled in a hospital bed.

"Allie, you need to lie on the bed, sweetheart" Vanessa said.

"I don't want to go mom" Allie said.

"Allie, you have to. It's the only way you are going to get better" Vanessa said.

Allie lied down on the hospital bed with tears in her eyes. Zac kissed her head softly.

"Everything is going to be okay, Al. I promise" Zac said.

The nurse put the railings of the bed up and wheeled Allie to a hospital room. After the nurse put the brakes on the hospital bed, she handed Allie a hospital gown.

"Allie, you need to change into this" the nurse said.

The nurse left the room. Allie changed into the hospital gown and got back on the bed. She moved her body into a ball and started to cry. Vanessa looked at Zac. Vanessa walked over to the hospital bed and put her hand on Allie's back.

"Allie honey, we are trying to figure out why your tests were so high okay? Everything is going to fine" Vanessa said.

Vanessa looked at Zac.

"Can you call Dylan?" Vanessa asked.

"Yeah" Zac said as he left the room.

Vanessa looked at Allie.

"Baby, look at me" Vanessa said.

Allie looked up with tears running down her face.

"Your dad and I are never going to put you in a situation that is isn't safe okay? You are really sick and we want you to feel better. This is the best option that we have. Daddy and I can't do things that Dr. Thomas can do" Vanessa said.

"I'm scared" Allie said.

"I know you are scared honey. So are we. But, this is the only option that we have right now okay?" Vanessa said.

Allie nodded. Vanessa kissed her daughter's head softly.

"I love you Allie" Vanessa said as she wiped Allie's tears away.

"I love you too" Allie said.

Vanessa hugged Allie and rubbed her back. Zac came back into the room.

"Uncle Dylan is on his way, sweetie" Zac said.

Allie nodded. Dr. Thomas came into the room.

"Okay Allie, I need to put the IV in" Dr. Thomas said.

Allie closed her eyes as Dr. Thomas put the IV into her arm. As Dr. Thomas put the IV into Allie's arm, tears ran down her face.

"All done. I will come back in a little while to check on you" Dr. Thomas said.

"Okay" Allie said.

Dr. Thomas left the room. Zac and Vanessa kissed Allie's head.

"Are you okay?" Vanessa asked.

"I don't want to have cancer anymore mommy" Allie said.

"I know you don't baby. I know it's been hard on you" Vanessa said.

There was a knock on the door and Dylan came into the room.

"Hey kid, what's going on?" Dylan asked as he kissed Allie's head.

Allie just hugged her uncle. Dylan put his arms around Allie and moved onto the bed. Allie put her head in Dylan's neck. Dylan rubbed her back soothingly. Allie looked at her uncle with tears in her eyes.

"Hi sweetheart. How are you feeling?" Dylan asked.

"I don't want to do this anymore" Allie whispered.

"I know Al. But, you are the strongest person I know. You will get through this okay? You need to stay in the hospital until Dr. Thomas knows what's going on so he can help you" Dylan said.

Allie tightened her grip on Dylan.

"I love you" Dylan said.

"I love you too" Allie said.

Vanessa and Zac looked at each other. The Efron's knew that Allie's cancer was going to be hard to cope with, but they never expected it to be this hard.


End file.
